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NFL free agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs smiles during the Practice and Press Conferences during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.

The Kansas City Chiefs need a top option at wide receiver for quarterback Patrick Mahomes once he returns from injury, even if that wideout is not actually a true No. 1 talent.

Kansas City can look for such a player with the No. 9 pick in next month’s NFL draft, and perhaps find one, though that is a lot to ask of a rookie. The more likely path, though, given the positional distribution of talent in the 2027 class is that the Chiefs fill two of the following three spots in the opening round: edge-rusher or cornerback in the top 10 and an offensive tackle at No. 29.

Assuming the draft plays out that way, or in some similar fashion, in Kansas City’s war room, the free-agent and trade markets are the most viable pathways to higher-end receiver talent.

The Chiefs need to add a wide receiver to a room that currently sports Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and not much else. Kansas City has also made something of a habit of bringing in veteran wide receivers who were cast off by other teams.

Diggs is also coming off a quietly-solid season with the New England Patriots: 102 targets, 85 receptions, 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. Right now, Kansas City’s pass-catchers are more a weakness than a strength. The addition of Diggs could change that.

Stefon Diggs Arguably Best Veteran WR Option for Chiefs in Free Agency

GettyWide receiver Stefon Diggs, formerly of the New England Patriots.

Diggs will turn 33 years old near the end of next season and carries a market value of $13.8 million annually over a new two-year contract, per Spotrac.

That price is a bit steep considering Diggs’ age and the fact that he is probably a mid-tier WR2 at this point in his career, with analysts such as ESPN’s Ben Solak describing New England’s release of Diggs and signing of Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal worth $68 million as a talent and value upgrade.

But the receiver position is blowing up in terms of financial compensation, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba becoming the most recent player to reset the market at north of $42 million annually via the new deal he just inked with the Seattle Seahawks.

That reality makes free agency a tough sell for a Chiefs team that began the offseason with the worst salary cap deficit in the league. Wideout happens to be a position where there is some short-term veteran talent available to bridge the gap until Kansas City can spend big money and/or assets on a player to pair with Mahomes.

A reunion with Tyreek Hill is a possibility, as is taking a swing on Odell Beckham Jr. And for different reasons, each might be available at a veterans league minimum of $1.3 million. But if free agency is the path Kansas City takes, Diggs probably is the best player available.

Trade for Vikings WR Jordan Addison Interesting Possibility in Kansas City

A trade could also make some sense if the Chiefs are willing to drop the No. 40 overall pick in Round 2 on a younger talent.

Jordan Addison of the Minnesota Vikings comes to mind after that franchise announced its intention Monday to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2027 campaign.

Addison carries a $2.6 million base salary in 2026, which is the last season on his $14 million rookie deal. The team option on that contract, which Minnesota can exercise due to Addison’s status as a former first-round pick, is worth $18 million.

As such, one hypothetical trade for Addison, the clear No. 2 wideout in the Vikings offense, would cost Kansas City the 40th overall pick next month and then run the team a cost of $20.6 million to employ him over the next two years, with an opportunity to extend his stay on a new agreement beyond that.

“[Addison] has flashed early in his career but has yet to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season and struggled with drops in 2025,” John Kosko of Pro Football Focus wrote March 22, when he named Addison Minnesota’s top trade asset. “The talent is evident, and a contending team in need of a WR2 or WR3 could benefit from his skill set. With Minnesota needing to add depth on defense, moving Addison could bring back valuable assets to help address those areas.”